Grant Shapps wants a speed limit for cyclists

[Nealh]

I saw a kdi about 11 or 12 or so a few weeks ago on the worth way with his dad and sister, he was riding a small e folder. I did mention he was a bit young for the need to use an e bike though his dad said it was the only bike they could find that fitted him, which I thought very strange.

 

[oyster]

Apart from altering the letter spacing to achieve some fancy perceived affect, the most common abuse that I see, is where taxis, motorhomes etc, use the square plates that have small lettering, sometimes very small indeed.

Maybe this is done to make it harder for the ANPR and thus avoid speeding fines ?

I've noticed quite a few recently with a slightly 3D look to the characters.

I'm sure many are intended to avoid ANPR.

Strikes me that if ANPR (as in official rather than car park) can't make it out automatically, it should take a super-definition high-zoom photo for human interpretation.

Not intending people to be caught for a mud spatter - but the highly deliberate obscurers.

 

[guerney]

The anti cycling lobby still wouldn't be happy they'd just accuse us of holding them up by not reaching or exceeding the speed limit.

I expect Schapps would then harp on about a minimum cycling speed too...

 

[guerney]

Assuming MoT stations are checking plates, the owners must be switching plates before and after MoT, every year. Which pretty much proves such plates are premeditated acts. (Allowing that someone buying a secondhand car could inadvertently have illegal plates.)

It's not the worst offence in the world, but it feels unpleasant that some out there are doing this and getting away with it - for years. If it matters enough to be a requirement, it needs to be enforced.

A license plate I saw the other day: It's taxi registration plate was placed slightly over the vehicle plate by just enough to obscure the lowest part of the alphanumerics, certainly obscured enough to confound human plate recognition. It's cheekiness made me chuckle.

I've noticed quite a few recently with a slightly 3D look to the characters.

It had hard to read smallish blocky 3D raised characters aswell, which I guess didn't do the job.

 

[guerney]

I saw a kdi about 11 or 12 or so a few weeks ago on the worth way with his dad and sister, he was riding a small e folder. I did mention he was a bit young for the need to use an e bike though his dad said it was the only bike they could find that fitted him, which I thought very strange.

Fantastic. What the country needs, is even more obese teenagers, wobbling about...

 

[RichLarry]

In statistical terms, injury and death of pedestrians by bicycle compared to cars is insignificant (and I do understand the campaigning individual who's parter died would disagree - statisics aren't sympathetic).

From the 2020 stats (RAS40004.xlsx):

Pedestrians hit by [bicycle]	288
of which: killed	4
seriously injured (adjusted)	99

Pedestrians hit by [car]	10,949
of which: killed	200
seriously injured (adjusted)	3,106

Note that injury and death by cars were lower in 2020, probably due to Covid. Deaths in previous years were in the 250-280 region

Ok I can understand the speed limit from a safety point of view (speed kills) as long as it is set to something sensible. If that is what he wants to do then put a black box in every car, van , lorry etc and limit them exactly to all the speed limits that are set in the UK. Unfortunately he does not have the balls to go up against the automotive industry ! imagine all cars having to stick to the speed limits as well !!!!

 

[guerney]

Ok I can understand the speed limit from a safety point of view (speed kills) as long as it is set to something sensible. If that is what he wants to do then put a black box in every car, van , lorry etc and limit them exactly to all the speed limits that are set in the UK. Unfortunately he does not have the balls to go up against the automotive industry ! imagine all cars having to stick to the speed limits as well !!!!

I'd love to see such black boxes limiting speed according to zones - if GPS is blocked or jammed, it could default the motor vehicle to 10mph. Announcing such a measure would earn him a bribe lobbying fee from the automotive and associated industry groups, after which he could walk it back.

 

[StuartsProjects]

A license plate I saw the other day: It's taxi registration plate was placed slightly over the vehicle plate by just enough to obscure the lowest part of the alphanumerics, certainly obscured enough to confound human plate recognition. It's cheekiness made me chuckle.

You see a great many taxis with the square plates with the too small lettering that are intended for motorbikes and trailers.

You might think that Taxis drivers would be a bit more careful, if their taxi is in an 'un-roadworthy' condition there could be consequences for future employment. ............

 

[StuartsProjects]

I'd love to see such black boxes limiting speed according to zones - if GPS is blocked or jammed, it could default the motor vehicle to 10mph. Announcing such a measure would earn him a bribe lobbying fee from the automotive and associated industry groups, after which he could walk it back.

Unfortunatly the signals received by a GPS are extremly weak and thus a jammer has quite a range.

https://www.nj.com/news/2013/08/man_fined_32000_for_blocking_newark_airport_tracking_system.html

So if black boxes in vehicles had their speed cut to 10mph when there is no adequate GPS signal, think of the caos you could cause by casually using a jammer at a local crossroads or dual carriagway,

 

[guerney]

Before any cycling nonsense it introduced vehicle owners need to respect the road side infrastructure and stop parking on verges and pavements causing not only untold damage but blocking the way for pedestrians and other pathway users.

On a jam packed road last week while I was towing my heavy trailerfull of water, a car suddenly blocked the cycle lane directly in front of me. If all cars, lorries, vans, buses etc. had ramps at either end, they could climb over each other instead of shifting sideways into cycle lanes, and traffic density would be far greater. Arms could shoot out of the sides of the vehicle on top, to steady if required. I'll write to Schapps.

 

[guerney]

Unfortunatly the signals received by a GPS are extremly weak and thus a jammer has quite a range.

https://www.nj.com/news/2013/08/man_fined_32000_for_blocking_newark_airport_tracking_system.html

So if black boxes in vehicles had their speed cut to 10mph when there is no adequate GPS signal, think of the caos you could cause by casually using a jammer at a local crossroads or dual carriagway,

Civillian GPS is not terribly accurate either - A-GPS using known positions of the ever increasing mobile phone masts etc. could provide supplementary positioning data - harder to jam, but a bit vague if used exclusively, especially in areas without adequate numbers of cached GPS data sources on the cellular network.

 

[StuartsProjects]

Civillian GPS is not terribly accurate either - A-GPS using known positions of the ever increasing mobile phone masts etc. could provide supplementary positioning data - harder to jam, but a bit vague if used exclusively, especially in areas without adequate numbers of cached GPS data sources on the cellular network.

The Earth wobbles a bit and changes in atmospheric stuff degrade accuracy.

To improve accuracy beyond the typical 3M+, you need a reference receiver that has a very accuratly known position which receives the GPS signals and then transmitts a correction.

You can readily buy them, they are used in surveying applications etc, but not low cost.

 

[guerney]

The Earth wobbles a bit and changes in atmospheric stuff degrade accuracy.

To improve accuracy beyond the typical 3M+, you need a reference receiver that has a very accuratly known position which receives the GPS signals and then transmitts a correction.

You can readily buy them, they are used in surveying applications etc, but not low cost.

A Brexit embuggerance:

We're not getting back with Galileo, UK govt tells The Reg, as question marks sprout above its BS*

*Brexit Satellite. What did you think we meant? GPS continues to rule the roost in Blighty for now

www.theregister.com

 

[guerney]

You see a great many taxis with the square plates with the too small lettering that are intended for motorbikes and trailers.

You might think that Taxis drivers would be a bit more careful, if their taxi is in an 'un-roadworthy' condition there could be consequences for future employment. ............

Most private hire taxi drivers are self-employed - they pay about £80 to £140 a month (non-Uber) for a cellphone with an app which communicates with the taxi company, one for each taxi company. They pocket what they can't hide from the HMRC... which is why the only sleep taxi drivers get, is at the wheel. Clearly they're not being woken up by cops.

 

[Plas man]

all this talk of taxi's/private hire makes you think the goverment should leave the cyclist alone and concentrate on border force .

 

[oyster]

Unfortunately he does not have the balls to go up against the automotive industry ! imagine all cars having to stick to the speed limits as well !!!!

The EU has!

When will speed limiters be mandatory?

From 6 July 2022, all new cars will need to have a speed limiter device fitted.

20 driving myths explained

Think you know the rules of the road? From fancy dress to splashing pedestrians, discover 20 driving myths and laws that could catch you out.

www.confused.com

Though I am failry happy that drivers should be encouraged to drive within speed limits, there are issues. Imagine driving someone to hospital as an emergency - in the middle fo the night with no traffic - and still having to stick to low limits. So some flexibility is required.

There is always the possibility that if traffic actually obeyed speed limits, some could be allowed to rise.

Maybe we'll actually use non-symmteric limits more often? Even as simple as 40mph on roads going out of town and 30mph coming in - at least at the periphery of the town.

 

[guerney]

Though I am failry happy that drivers should be encouraged to drive within speed limits, there are issues. Imagine driving someone to hospital as an emergency - in the middle fo the night with no traffic - and still having to stick to low limits. So some flexibility is required.

Perhaps emergency services could remove speed limits of vehicles remotely? Fraudsters could be easily identified through hospital non-attendance, and fined. Cops could switch off vehicles conveying general scum, speed freak or bicycle close passing scum?

 

[StuartsProjects]

Perhaps emergency services could remove speed limits of vehicles remotely?

Would wanting to get to the pub, before last orders, constitue an emergency ?

 

[guerney]

Would wanting to get to the pub, before last orders, constitue an emergency ?

Overly viscous blood would need to be confirmed by a state-sanctioned measuring device and accompanying app

 

[guerney]

The EU has!

When will speed limiters be mandatory?

From 6 July 2022, all new cars will need to have a speed limiter device fitted.

20 driving myths explained

Think you know the rules of the road? From fancy dress to splashing pedestrians, discover 20 driving myths and laws that could catch you out.

www.confused.com

Though I am failry happy that drivers should be encouraged to drive within speed limits, there are issues. Imagine driving someone to hospital as an emergency - in the middle fo the night with no traffic - and still having to stick to low limits. So some flexibility is required.

There is always the possibility that if traffic actually obeyed speed limits, some could be allowed to rise.

Maybe we'll actually use non-symmteric limits more often? Even as simple as 40mph on roads going out of town and 30mph coming in - at least at the periphery of the town.

If the will was there, they could remotely adjust max speeds dynamically, responding to traffic levels, smog etc. Perhaps on some days, a certain proportion of vehicles won't be allowed to switch on at all. I used to like the internet.